


Reds and Oranges are Rare

by sammyseabird



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alexander is a green, Alternate Universe - High School, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Charles Lee is a blue, Childhood Trauma, Class Differences, Comfort, George Washington is a green, Hercules is a Blue, Hugging, Hurt/Comfort, IAAN_ idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, James Madison is a Green, John Needs A Hug, John is an Orange, John is hurt but doesn't know the danger he is in, John is in hiding, LGBTQ Character of Color, Lafayette is a gold, M/M, Someone is a red but I am not revealing that, Superpowers, The Author Regrets Nothing, The Darkest Minds AU, Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette are Twins, Thomas Jefferson is a gold, Trigger Warnings, Weird medical stuff, based off of a book
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:00:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24298501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sammyseabird/pseuds/sammyseabird
Summary: Everyone in the world is assigned a colour based on the power or ability they show by the time they are five years old. The power disappears around the ages of 18 and 19. This is either through testing, or through looking at the colour of their eyes, as their eyes turn their colour when they use their powers. The powers are;Green: Enhanced Intelligence / Blue: Telekinesis / Gold: The ability to manipulate electricity / Red: Pyrokinesis / Orange: Ability to manipulate the human mind through touch.Red and Orange are not only rare, but deadly. Those with that desingation must be killed or held away until their powers go away. However, some people... would rather not have that.John was found out as an Orange shortly after he turned five years old. He has hidden his powers and disguised himself as a green. However, what is he supposed to do with his new friend group when he moves up to New York from his country home in South Carolina? His new friends are all open about their colours... But his will get him killed.EDIT: Y'all!! My school featured me in the school newsletter and put my story in it!! Hello everyone from my school/their parents!! Enjoy this!!!
Relationships: Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens, Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette/Hercules Mulligan
Comments: 40
Kudos: 120





	1. Moving on up

**Author's Note:**

> Follow my socials!: @SC_WinterArcher
> 
> More notes at the bottom of some chapters!

It was shortly after John celebrated his fifth birthday in his quiet home with his whole family. At the time, it was just himself, his mother, his father, and his younger sister. He blew out the candles and felt a wave rush over him when he saw his father smile at him for his progression in his life. It was all smiles and cheers... until he touched his little sister, and all he saw was black until he pulled his hand away from hers, only to see her sobbing in the seat next to himself. The shocked looks on his parents faces stunned him and remained stuck in his mind. The looks when they realized... Their son's rings around his pupils turn to a bright Orange right after he touched his sister's skin.   
  
Everyone knew of the infamous chart hanging up in almost every American home in the nation. The notorious triangle, detailing each of the five colours that a child can be due to the medical condition known as IAAN, or Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration. The triangle was like a sick food pyramid.  
  
Starting at the bottom was the Green category. John's father was a Green. This kind has enhanced intelligence, to the point where it is almost outlandish. This kind is the most common form of power and assignment, appearing in 70% of the world They were also the least lethal or harmful to others  
  
Up on the list were the Blues. John's mother was a Blue. Telekinesis. It always seemed the easiest to explain to young children who didn't know the power levels—the ability to move objects with your mind. Either across the room or even across the planet if they so wished. They were just above Greens on the 'lethality' chart.  
  
Right below the 'DANGER' line were the Golds. Perhaps the most unknown colour group, Golds possess the ability to manipulate electricity or electronic with their hands and body. The limits of their power are unknown to researchers. The limits can range from fixing a lightbulb to electrocuting someone with a simple touch on their shoulder. Their ability to control their power is also unknown. As a result, Golds are legally required to wear yellow electrical gloves and only take them off for sleep, to protect the general public from danger.  
  
Right past the danger line, just below the most lethal colour, are the Reds. One of the rarest groups, affecting a small portion of the world, they possesses the ability to control fire. Be it through their hands, mouths, eyes, or just any part of their body, they are seen as lethal and highly dangerous. Those who spot a Red must report it immediately to the police or their government to apprehend the person.

And finally, the last section on that damn triangle. The most lethal and dangerous colour of them all is the Oranges. Oranges have a rare and interesting ability, though it can also be used to cause mass destruction and purposeful harm. They can control a person's mind through skin to skin contact. They can look into a person's memories, implant a thought into someone's mind, and overall manipulate them through their power. However, this only affects a tiny fraction of the population of the world. Less than one hundred children are found to be Oranges every single year. And typically, by the end of the year, none of those children are there anymore. It is illegal to be an Orange, and it is even more forbidden to house an Orange while knowing its colour.   
  
This was a law that John's parents broke for years. They didn't go to the police about their discovery. Instead, they made sure to give John all the love he needs, train him to become a Green and conceal his identity from the rest of the world. He couldn't be arrested. He would be murdered on the spot. He was always reminded of that whenever he got into an argument with his parents, especially his father.  
  
"Watch your tone, young man!! We're the reason you are still alive!" "Be happy that we didn't go to the police and tell them about your little problem!" "Eat your damn vegetables! We didn't go to the authorities about you, so you better listen to us!"   
  
It was almost an everyday thing to him, but John still went through it. He went through all the learning to disguise himself as a Green, he tried never to touch anyone by their skin, and he worked through the yelling from his father. But there was still that aching thought in his mind... One slip up, and he was over.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
The drive up was long, especially with five younger sisters in the car and two parents who were quietly arguing in the front of the vehicle. John already missed his home. He wanted to go home. There weren't any people there near him in his old home in South Carolina, but now his family was moving on up to the grand old' New York City for some God known reason. His parents probably just wanted to make his life harder in terms of controlling his power, knowing them.

He had reluctantly agreed to the ride up to New York with his loud siblings and fighting parents. He tried slipping off his headphones, only for his oldest younger sister's, who later was found to be a Blue, eyes formed blue around her pupils. She moved John's headphones off of his head with a simple nod up and then down onto his lap. He was tempted to reach over and touch her arm, implant the thought to scream as loud as she could so they would pull over, and she would get yelled at. However, the consequences far outweighed the possible reward, so he reluctantly decided against it. Instead, he looked out of the window to the moving roads and cars on the highway.

They were almost there, but he couldn't wait to head on back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOP!! My first chapter! I hope this will get people excited now. Hahaha. Anyway, do make sure to read the actual BOOK this was based on, btw. It's called 'The Darkest Minds' and it is so,so good. Anyway, bye for now!


	2. The Same Questions at Every Border

"Name."

"Henry Laurens" 

"Travelling here with anyone?" 

"Yes, my family." 

"Any children below the age of eighteen?" 

"Yes, I have six children." 

"Do they all possess their colour cards sanctioned by your state's official?"

  
"Yes, they are the ones who hold them."

"Alright, Sir. If you wouldn't mind, please guide your family up to the front desk." 

The officer pointed over to the New York State IAAN Control building along the border. No one in the Laurens family could remember a time when that building wasn't there. It was created along every state border, each building within 5 kilometres of each other. Built to ensure that any children going into the state was not lethal or dangerous in any form. Each person in the Laurens family tribe walked to the building from their car, each child, except for the youngest, holding their little tags that read their name, age, colour, and place of birth. At the bottom of every tag was a signed signature from a person in government, that being their father.

John never liked his tag. It has his name, of course, and he loved his name. He just didn't like the words underneath.

  
**Name: John Laurens**

**Age: Sixeen**

**C.A. (Colour Assignment): GREEN**

**POB (Place of Birth): Charleston, South Carolina**

**Signature: Henry Laurens**  


The tag was a tool used and sanctioned by his father, so he can openly lie to the police or any official about his colour. He was forced to hide, even if he didn't want to. Countless officials see him as a green despite never seeing his eyes turn to a colour, and that not also being his colour. However, John still knew that it was better to lie than to risk his own life and his family for housing him and hiding away for the past sixteen years. 

  
They were at the IAAN Border Control building, now. His father was answering the same questions the officer asked him outside. However, now, the children were getting involved. This started from youngest to oldest. John's youngest sister wasn't involved, as she was only three years old with no sign of any new powers. So, it went up to his second youngest.

She went up to the man behind the plexiglass.

"Your name, young lady?"

"Olivia Laurens!" 

"How old are you?" 

"I am seven!!" 

"May I see your card?" the man asked, holding out his hand and giving the girl a soft smile as she handed it over. He read through the card, which detailed Olivia's colour assignment as a Green. Soon after, he handed it back and continued onto the next kid.

  
**Name: Melissa Laurens**

**Age: Nine**

**C.A. (Colour Assignment): BLUE**

**POB (Place of Birth): Charleston, South Carolina**

**Signature: Henry Laurens**  


And then the next  


  
**Name: Katheryn Laurens**

**Age: Thirteen**

**C.A. (Colour Assignment): GREEN**

**POB (Place of Birth): Charleston, South Carolina**

**Signature: Henry Laurens**

  
  
And then yet another.

  
  
**Name: Martha Laurens**

**Age: fifteen**

**C.A. (Colour Assignment): BLUE**

**POB (Place of Birth): Charleston, South Carolina**

**Signature: Henry Laurens**

  
  
And then, finally, John. He walked up to the glass and looked at the man.

"Your name, young man?" he questioned. 

John swallowed thickly, already handing over his tag.

"John Laurens, Sir. I am sixteen and-... Yeah, here's my tag." he said, motioning to the tag on the table. He felt a ball of guilt and fear get lodged in his throat as the man read it over, occasionally glancing up at John with an accusing look in his eye until he slowly laid the card back down on the table. 

"Everything looks good, Mr. Laurens," the man said, talking to Henry. John quickly snagged his tag back into his hands and stepped away from the glass. His father nodded to the man, giving him a firm 'thank you' before he motioned his family out of the building. 

The stress that John had was still persistent in his body. Damn it. He was so paranoid about people finding out and killing him and everyone he loves. If he wasn't able to talk to the border officers without feeling the need to shake in his boots, how would he lie to people that he may consider his friends in his new school?

~~~

"What's your name?"

"I'm John Laurens."

"Do you know what grade you are in here?"

"I'm not stupid," John muttered, resulting in a flick in his arm, courtesy of his father. 

The school building was full of chattering children and teens right outside of the principal's office, where he was with his father and yet another authority figure, his principal. The office was far more lavish than he expected it to be for a New York City high school. The walls were painted a light blue, similar to his new bedroom, and along the back of the room were floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with academic essays, textbooks, workbooks, yearbooks, and even a few random books the principal liked. The other walls had pictures of some school events, such as the academic decathlon teams, athletic teams, past proms, current class pictures, Model U.N., seminars that students attended, and many others. So many events that John only wished that he would be able to participate in if it wasn't for his father telling him about the risks of him touching other kids. He had such strict rules for the kid, and it shocked John that he was even allowed to go to school. The office also has a mahogany desk right in the front of the room, where the rather large man sat, his principal, and contained a computer along the side, a small potted plant, two chairs opposite of the main, large chair, and a small, rectangular sign that read;

  
**George Washington**   
_Principal_

  
"I am a junior. My eleventh year of high school, however, you wanna say it." John answered, leaning back in his chair. "I'm sixteen in case you want to know that as well."

The principal sighed softly and nodded, sitting up and looking at John. "So, I heard from your father that you are a Green, is that correct?" he asked.  
John solemnly nodded to the lie.

"We have clubs and events available for Greens. We do recommend joining some so that you are surrounded by other kids your colour. Trust me; Greens are the best. We're the most fun to hang around." George winked.

George had lost his powers years ago. When he was five years old, he was found as a Green at a birthday party, and he couldn't be happier with his colour assignment. It gave him more chances and opportunities to expand his intelligence through his abilities, and he was so thankful that he got to keep some of his knowledge, and was now the principal of one of New York's most prestigious high schools. He was also thankful that he was allowed to foster a child, who was a Green as well. He got to bring the kid up and introduce him to his life as a Green. It was truly remarkable.

"Perhaps John can look at some extracurriculars. Due to John's prominent social anxiety, we are unsure and rather worried about events with large amounts of students. Still, we can look into him joining some clubs with kids his age." Henry nodded, patting John's clothed shoulder lightly.

John shivered softly and looked down at his lap. "Yeah... maybe."

"Alright. So, John, your father has already filled in your papers, your Colour Assignment sheet, all the jazz, so starting Monday, you are welcome to join us for your first school day. I can walk you around the building if you want, or I can ask a student to help." George explained.

"Student-... Student, please." John whispered. Lord above knew that he didn't want to get led around by his principal. He was already going to have a target on his back, and he didn't want to make it worse by having a large man watch him like a bodyguard. 

George nodded gently. "Alright. I will select a student to guide you around." He had just the person in his mind, a Green who was going well enough in school that it didn't matter if he skipped two subjects. All three of them stood, Henry shaking George's hand. George moved to shake John's hand, to which the boy shied away and took a step back.

"He is just nervous." Henry excused his son's behaviour.

"That is perfectly okay," George explained, looking to John. "I can tell you are going to do good here." 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D


	3. The Place Where I Can Go. To Take This Off My Shoulders. Someone Take Me Home

The new house where they lived was much larger than their home in South Carolina. Each child got their own room, apart from the three-year-old and the seven-year-old, who shared one of the five bedrooms. John's bedroom was the second largest, just down the hall from his parent's bedroom, which was by far the largest. All of his bags were shoved into the corner of the pastel blue-coloured bedroom. The only 'unpacking' that he had down at that point was putting his blankets and his pillows on his bed and lying down on the mattress. His headphones were soon slipped onto his head, listening along to a soundtrack from  _ Black Mirror  _ as he closed his eyes.

The new normal was the repetition of his life in hiding in his home state. Still, it now expanded ten-fold with the move to one of the biggest cities in not only America but probably the world. He tried his hardest to wrap his head around that fact. He was perhaps the only rare colour in all of New York, and probably the only Orange in all of the world. All of his kind were killed the second they were spotted or apprehended by the police. Still, he was different because of his parent's choice to keep their first and only son alive and well through the simple act of lying.

He could've been a Green. Or a Blue. He had lost count of the number of times he had gone to his parents and cried on their shoulders about his fear of dying over something he couldn't control. It wasn't his choice to be his colour. It was his brain chemistry from the damn IAAN disease that every child had. That was what made him an Orange. But now his life was threatened, not to mention his whole family's. His younger sisters would get executed for following along in the lies even though most of them weren't even born. He isn't even sure if half of his siblings know that he isn't a Green. Even if they didn't know and had no correlation with knowing, they would be reprimanded for it. For housing such a 'dangerous individual.'

John didn't even know what was so dangerous about him. He was hardly even allowed to use his powers out in public. So, as a result, he didn't truly understand his abilities as an Orange. He knew the basics. He knew that he could implant a thought into someone's mind with a simple touch on their skin. Still, he only used those to get out of chores, and he didn't dare do it to his parents, especially his father. Lord above knew what would happen if he used it on a figure such as his father. As a result, he steered away from that, as much as he remotely could.

He was shown to the public as his father's pride and joy. His father's son who was to carry on the legacy of the Laurens Family Men. Almost all of the men in the Laurens family, thus far, have been Greens, so his father was understandably shocked when he found out his son's colour, and the severity of it. Now, look where that got him. Practically in social isolation and caught in a massive lie that was sure to bite both himself and his father in the ass at some point. John was sixteen, just two more years until, hopefully, the powers disappeared, and he could live his life as usual and not some creature forced to lie about his true identity. So, he continued to hide, just as he had hidden for the past eleven years in his life. For the sake of his family, and his own life that he honestly hasn't gotten the chance to explore in. John ached to be normal. He just wanted to be normal. That was all he wanted from his life in hiding.

~~~

It was Henry's idea to begin daily Laurens Family dinners at the new house, mostly to try to reunite the family in a time of stress and homesickness. So, promptly at 5:30 pm, he called all of the children down from their rooms and helped his wife lay out all of the dinners onto the table. It wasn't anything special—a chicken and some vegetables to celebrate their first week in their new home. As soon as every child was downstairs, sitting in their seats, Henry sat down at the table with his wife, who was helping their three-year-old properly sit in her risen chair. 

"I hope that everyone's day went well. Did I hear some unpacking upstairs?" Herny asked the children, not looking to John, knowing his reluctance to unpack yet. Katheryn raised her hand in response and smiled.

"I finished unpacking my bag! I just need to put some things up, and then it will all be good and ready!" She said, her smile widening across her round face before she stuffed some of the chicken, from her plate, into her mouth.

Henry nodded along. "Alright. I expect all of you to be finished unpacking by the end of next week, and no using any powers to unpack. If you wish to use your powers to unpack, we will ask that you do not, so that you don't accidentally cause a mess in your new room. You still all need to get used to them."

"Dad, I'm fifteen," Martha interrupted with somewhat of a frown. "I know how to use my thing. Look-" As a demonstration, she pointed over to John. As always, her corneas turned to that ocean blue colour as her finger moved to the side. Like magic, John's hair tie, which was holding his long, messy, curly hair in a confined low ponytail, slowly began to slip out. He glanced up to his sister and grumbled something out under his breath, reaching behind himself to grab onto his hair tie just as it was about to fall out of his hair. He glared over at Martha as he began to retie his hair, and her eyes turned back to their standard brown colour. "See? I can use my powers good!"

"Your version of good is just giving me small inconveniences," John muttered, finishing up his hair before returning to his meal.

Martha only shrugged, "Not my fault, you are an easy target for it." 

"I didn't ask for it."

"And I didn't ask for a whiney brother, but look what I got."

"That has nothing to do with it, Marth-"

"Having a whiney older brother is worse than having a sister who pulls out hair ties with powers."

John kept looking down at his meal, slowly eating more of the food on his plate. He hated getting into those little, petty fights with his sisters, especially with Martha or Katheryn (the oldest two). What he hated even more, though, was any of his siblings using their powers like he was a sick guinea pig used for testing. Some of his sisters weren't in the category, as some of them were Greens who couldn't do anything to him other than make him feel bad with homework. However, with the Blues, he hated that they were allowed to use their powers on him to practically make him suffer. Still, he wasn't allowed to use his own abilities in response. Finally, what he probably hated the most was when he asked his siblings to stop, but they don't. 

As soon as he felt his hair tie begin to slip out of his hair again, John looked up to her sister with a deep scowl. There she was, at it still with her finger softly pointing to him and moving. Her corneas were that same, shitty colour of blue. He had enough, and it wasn't long after that, he shot up from his seat and leaned over the table in a burst of anger to grip onto his sister's wrist in a tight fist. She yelled out from both the suddenness and the quick pain in her wrist. John's eyes, around his pupils, turned to bright Orange as he only held on harder.

"John!! Let go!!" Martha shouted at the top of her lungs, all until suddenly, all she could do was look into her brother's eyes. By then, Henry shot up out of his seat and was yelling at John to let go of his sister. His mother tried to comfort his younger sisters as they watch the sight in front of them. Soon after, John let go of Martha's wrist, and his eyes turned back to their standard shade of brown. He watched his oldest younger sister slowly sit back down in her seat, muttering a soft. "He didn't do anything wrong; I was the wrong one. I am sorry."

Those, of course, weren't her words. They were John's words that he forced inside of Martha's mind with the simple trick of thought placement. All that happened next was in muffled silence to John's ears. He could hear his father yelling at him, his mother trying to calm down his youngest sister's wails, and bring Martha back to reality. At the same time, she kept staring at John, and he could  _ see his _ other siblings look at him in pure fear.

John forced himself out of that muffledness and pushed himself away from his father, merely saying, "why can't I use my powers when they can all use theirs... it isn't fair. I just want to be normal. I just want to be normal... That's all I want to be, but all I seem to do it hurt people!" His tone accelerated in volume towards the end of his short rant before he ran up the stairs and back to his bedroom, where he slammed and locked the door shut. 

His room was still unpacked, with only the bed having its covers on, with the blankets. He ran his hands over his face. He was different for no good reason. This wasn't his choice. He didn't want to hurt Martha or anyone else... But all he could do was hurt them. Perhaps he deserved to be on the top of that infamous triangle, under the category of 'Lethal.'

On reflection... Who was he supposed to be in his family? The good, obedient kid who would do anything to protect his family... or the one who should be so thankful for his life, that he is forced to be down on his knees in forgiveness... Or should he be the one to say that it is enough? He wants to be who he is.

But how can you be who you indeed are if it is legal to be you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from the song 'Home' by Machine Gun Kelly, X Ambassadors, and Bebe Rexha
> 
> Also: The song John is listening to in his bedroom is 'On Reflection' by Max Richter from the Black Mirror episode Nosedive


	4. A Bouncing Little Green

The drive to school was filled with a more prolonged sense of awkwardness and silence from his father. John sat in the passenger's seat of the car, his arms crossed above his chest, and his eyes latched onto the trees outside of the moving vehicle. Each tree and plant and overall greenery zoomed past his car. His father hardly ever drove this fast, especially on a residential street. Still, John could sense the reason he was hurting. It was because of the constant disappointment and even anger from the incident the night before with touching Martha's wrist and forcing that damn thought into her mind.

Now, they were alone, and Lord knew what his father wished to do to him in the car, in the quiet parking lot all along with his son right next to him. Probably slap him for hitting his first daughter. John shuddered at that thought... It wasn't his fault. He didn't mean to hurt her, not to mention he didn't think he hurt her at all, but since she claimed she was hurt and their parents believed her, John prepared for punishment.

They parked in the school parking long, and Henry leaned back in his seat, not saying anything to his son for a few seconds before speaking in a tired voice. "Are you ready?"

John pursed his lips into a taut, thin line and slowly nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I am," He said, "can I just go? Please?"

"No. I want you to stay and remind me of the rules that we have in place for you," Henry said firmly.

John went silent for a few seconds, right before he let out a breath and began. "Don't touch anyone's skin. If I accidentally touch anyone, I have to put on my sunglasses in my bag until I feel my eyes return to normal. If I can't access my sunglasses, I have to hide my eyes away with my hair... If anyone is about to touch me on my skin, I have to back away from them and, if necessary, run away from them. If someone sees my eyes, I have to call you or Mama immediately to come to pick me up and handle the situation," he recited from memory.

"That's correct. Do you know why those rules are in place?"

"Because you love m-"

"Because we love you. Yes. We don't want you to get killed, and your family will get hurt as well. Your sisters will get hurt and maybe killed for hiding you with us. We shouldn't even be letting you live right now," Henry scowled between gritted teeth, "but we are letting you be normal. We are letting you go to school, have a family and a good home. You better not fuck this up for yourself and your family, John Laurens. Do you understand?"

John was looking at his lap now, squeezing his thighs together as a form of coping mechanism. "...I understand, Dad," he whispered.

"Good. Now go and get an education. You are coming home on your own."

~~~

John walked into the rather large school building and immediately felt his stress only build up higher. There had to be a thousand kids in this building, far more than his old school had. The chances of him not touching a single other student began to drop drastically as he walked more now down the halls, dodging every kid that was even close to reaching him.  _ He couldn't get caught. Not this late in his life. He was so close to getting his powers gone. He just needed to wait and be patient. _

John kept his head lowered, occasionally picking up on some of the conversations happening around him. This included a discussion from two others, both of whom definitely sounded older than him (probably seniors), who also sounded somewhat similar. An argument.

"You can't just shock him every time you pass him!"

"And why can't I? He's an annoying little prick."

"Because it's not nice! He is my friend!"

"No offence, Gil, but you have an /awful/ taste in friends."

"I am just asking if you could stop shocking him when he is defenceless."

"But that's what makes it fun. What's he going to do? Outsmart me to death? I'm excited for the day he loses all that damn 'intelligence' That just boosts his ego."

"And I hope the same for you... Please just stop shocking my friends."

John stopped listening after that. From what he picked up, he knew the receiver of the argument was undoubtedly a Gold, and whoever they were talking about was a Green. The one of definitely started the argument was named Gil... Or Bill. One of the two. There was also a chance that they were twins, from sounding the same. They also just sounded like how he and Martha argue. It was the sibling code.

He continued down the hall, keeping up the task of avoiding everything and everyone around him until he was halted to a stop by another boy in front of him, who stood in the middle of the hallway as if purposefully stopping the traffic to talk to the new kid... and of course, he purposefully meant it.

"John?" The kid asked, pointing to John's chest before he continued. "I'm sorry if it isn't you. Washington gave me a description of what you looked like, so I just went off of 'he has long curly hair that is tied up, and he has freckles. He is charming, Alex, I'm sure that you would like him', and I told him not to bring that up, cuz'- like- I haven't even met you up until this point, and I doubt you also know my name- I'm sorry- Hi, I'm Alexander."

Wow. It took John a moment to register all that the kid said. Okay. One thing was for sure, this kid's name was Alex. The things that John perceived about him were that he was the kid that George Washington selected to show him around the school and that this kid possibly never stopped talking, just based off of the number of words he said within the first minute of meeting the new kid.

"...Yup, I'm John," he nodded, gripping tightly onto the strap of his backpack swung over his shoulder.

Alexander nodded, instantly holding his hand out to shake John's, to which the new kid took a step back. Alex frowned slightly and retracted his hand. "Okay," he sighed, extending the 'O,' "So... Washington told me to show you around. That's simple enough, right? I can take your bag if you want, or lead you to an empty locker," he offered. 

All John could do was just look at him and hesitantly nod along. "...I would like an empty locker, please. So that I could put my bag down." Also, to keep Alex from snooping inside of his bag, but that went unspoken as he only held on tighter to his bag.

"That's aiight," Alex laughed, motioning for John to follow him, back down the hall where John was coming from. "Let's go! We're getting you a new locker!" He cheered, making sure John was following close behind him.

~~~

The locker was nothing remarkable nor exciting. Just a little space that he could call his own in this mansion of a school. He glanced at Alex, who was still smiling widely to him, before shoving his bag into his locker. 

_ This kid seemed like the definition of a kiss-ass,  _ he thought. Look at him. Alex was filled to the brim of excitement and charisma, almost a sickening amount. He was optimistic and seemed friendly enough to be happy about guiding a new kid around the school. His stupid-... pretty-...eyes were filled with joy about meeting people new in his school. He was probably student council president, leader of every single club, and probably a Green, just from the way he acts. Definitely a kiss a-

John was interrupted. Right as he closed his locker, he heard- electrical current?- followed by Alexander yelling out in pain. He immediately turned on his heel to look at the situation and see the feisty young man turned, himself, looking at the man John saw earlier, his eyes returning from gold to their natural colour.

"Oops, didn't mean to touch you there, Hamilton," a snarky voice teased to the overly energetic boy, "maybe just... stay away from my personal space, yeah?"

Alexander scoffed. "Even your brother hates you. You think electrocuting me is going to make anything better. Grow up and use your power for good instead of becoming a conniving bitch," he spat, glancing at John, "are you done? let's just go." 

Alex moved to grab onto John's hand, intending his drag him away from the living headache that was Gold-Assigned Thomas Jefferson. However, John gasped quietly and flinched his hand away from Alexander, taking a step back from the lockers. What came right after was a loud laugh from the tall obnoxious one. 

"Wow, even the new kid doesn't wanna touch you," the guy scoffed, turning to John, "scared that a pathetic Green is going to hurt you?" he asked in a mock-lighthearted fashion.

"Jefferson, shut up. He wants nothing to do with you. He's a Green, anyway," Alexander pushed Jefferson away by a shove on his chest.

Jefferson, however, stood his ground and kept looking at John. "...Think you're so smart?" he asked.

John said absolutely nothing. He held back any and every urge in his body to touch that bitch's arm and implant the thought in his mind to back the hell away, but thankfully... Jefferson did it without John using his power. With a scowl, he walked away from himself and Alexander.

"Golds fucking suck..." Alex muttered under his breath, glancing at John. "I know exactly one Gold, who is a good person. Can you believe that it's /his/ brother? Genetics did wonders since I don't know how an asshole and an angel can be twins but... that doesn't matt-"

"I want to go to class now. Please," John grumbled, unable to look Alexander in the eye.

"...Okay," Alex sighed, "Can I see your schedule?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all enjoyed Alexander's introduction, as well as Thomas's and his brother's ;)


	5. Liar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this instead of sleeping. :') Enjoy.

The morning classes all felt drawn out and purposefully vague. The only people who seemed to enjoy any of the learning activities were the students whose eyes lit up a bright green whenever they were answering a question or writing down their notes. John knew that a part of him was jealous of the true Greens who were just so... loved. Admired. Appreciated. However, he had to stay silent and shut himself up. Everyone would know that he wasn't a Green if he simply answered a question without his eyes turning that colour. So, as a result, the only interaction he had in his classes was in his homeroom.

"What is your name?"

"John. John Laurens."

"Hm. Where did you move here from? Is that an accent I hear?"

"Yes, Sir. I am from South Carolina. Moved up about a week ago..."

"Well, we are pleased to have you here, John. What's your assignment?"

"Green," A lie.

"Another Green, huh? We have a lot of you here."

"...Because it's the most common colour, Sir."

"No, I know. It was just a little joke, John. Your colour doesn't matter in this classroom. No matter what you are, Green, Blue, or Gold, you are welcome here."

No Reds. No Oranges.

John was also quick to notice that every classroom had that damn infamous triangle hanging up just above the whiteboard or the chalkboard. On occasion, he would find himself staring at the poster. It was a sick reminder of what should've happened to him when he was five years old.

It was even harder when, of course, one of his classes was right in the middle of discussing Colour Assignment Rights right while John started going to school.

"So, to resume today's class, we all know the colour chart, correct? You all seem old enough to know it, and if you've been living under a rock and have been wondering 'where did all these powers come from,' we have the poster right up above my head. Now, we previously discussed the segregation of Golds from society up until the protests and rallies, and to when Golds were announced as society-acceptable and non-dangerous or lethal, unlike Reds and Oranges."

John knew he wasn't lethal. Hell, he wasn't even dangerous. When he was younger, he aspired to help animals and people all around him. But all he could seem to do was ruin everything around him and hurt those same animals and people who he desperately wanted to help.

Was there a point to this?

~~~

The cafeteria might as well be a huge sign that said, ' ** We Are Going to Find You, Orange.' ** The room had nearly every single student there, all sitting obnoxiously close together. This was a literal hell. John knew this was literal hell. He though his old cafeteria was busy, but this was nothing.

Soon after he walked into the large cafeteria, he felt an arm get swung over his shoulder. John tensed up, his body stiffening out of fear of his skin touching the arm.  _ Shit Shit Shit Shit Shit _ .

"Hey, John," the arm's voice said. The voice was familiar, and as John reluctantly turned his head, he saw who it was. 

"You can come to sit with me if you want to. I know that first days are hard," Alexander sighed, "I came here halfway through freshman year, and it was a total hellhole until I found my friends. I think you should meet them. You would get along with them so well. Neither of them are Greens as well, but that is why we are the best," Alex winked. While he was talking, he was already guiding John through the cafeteria.

John skillfully managed to shrug Alexander's arm back, just slightly, to get the boy's arm away from his skin. This was such a big red flag. He didn't know what to do.

"...Isn't this too fast? I mean-... I-" John stuttered, "I'm brand new. Do your friends even want to see me or have anything to do with me?" 

"Of course they'll want to see you," Alexander said in the most reassuring voice he could before he slowly peeled his arm away from John's shoulders. He seemed uncomfortable with touch, not that Alex could blame him. The kid was like a rabbit in the headlights, but the headlights were the first day of school. Perhaps he was just...weird?

John bit his lower lip, chewing on the skin for a bit before he reluctantly gave in to the Green, following him through the busy cafeteria and narrowly avoiding everyone who was passing by, until they reached a more secluded area. There, John's eyes locked on a table with two other boys on it. 

He couldn't see much from his place where he was walking, but he could see two boys sitting at the table, seemingly one cuddling up to the other while the other had his arm wrapped around the first one's shoulder. The next thing John saw, as he got closer, was that the first boy he saw looked almost identical to that tall obnoxious bastard he met earlier in the hallway. However, this kid had his hair up, instead of down, and has bright yellow gloves on his hands. It didn't take long for John to conclude that;

A) This was the twin brother of the guy he met earlier.

B) Therefore, his name is Gil.

C) He's a Gold.

The kid next to him, however, gave nothing away. His body language didn't even show off what kind of personality he had. All it did was show that this Gil boy probably his boyfriend, or at least a friend with benefits if they even have that in New York.

John saw Gil's head look up, presumably hearing the footsteps walking toward the table. He looked at Alex first, then glancing at the new kid, then back at Alexander. 

"Replacing us already?" Gil laughed gently with a rather heavy french accent, which provoked the boy that he was cuddled into to look up as well.

Alexander rolled his eyes and sat down across from them, "I am not replacing either of you. Am I not allowed to make a new friend?"

"Oui."

"Mean."

"You don't decide what's mean, Alexandre."

"Alright, ladies," The unnamed kid interrupted before looking to the new kid, "What's your name?"

John swallowed thickly as he sat down beside Alexander, "John. My name is John."

"Well," The still-unnamed kid sighed, "It's nice to meet you, John. Since I seem to be the one who needs to be the grown-up here; You already met Alexander," he motioned to the kid beside John, then pointed to Gil, "This is Lafayette," then pointed to himself, "and I'm Hercules." he concluded.

John blinked a few times. He knew Alexander, of course. I thought 'Lafayette''s name was Gil... Perhaps he had two names. He also thought the previously unnamed kid had a cool name. He could tell more about him now. Hercules seemed like the kind to assert power but in a softer way, or more like a sheep in wolf's clothing. Probably a Blue, then, considering that a lot of Blue's enjoyed power and control, or what Hercules is mostly displaying, authority to a point.

"Thomas told me about you," Lafayette said, sitting up from his spot cuddling up to Hercules and looking to John, who looked back to him with a weird look.

"Thomas?"

"Oui. Thomas Jefferson. He's my brother."

"...Oh... What did he say?"

"That you were weird. But... I don't listen to his opinions about other people," Lafayette rolled his eyes. 

John nodded gently, glancing at Lafayette's hands, "Why do you wear gloves, but Thomas doesn't," he asked curiously.

The Frenchman sighed, "Thomas has them. He just doesn't like wearing them. His excuse is that he knows how to control his powers, and he won't hurt anything or anyone... I like the precautions. I don't want to hurt anyone unless it is for fun," he explained before demonstrating with taking his yellow glove off and looking over to his boyfriend beside him. He pouted out his lower lip.

Hercules looked back to Lafayette and sighed. "Two seconds. Nothing more. Or else you aren't coming over tonight."

Lafayette nodded quickly to the compromise. Almost immediately after, his corneas turned to the bright gold colour. His hand lit up with little electrical sparks and current before he placed his hand right on Hercules's shoulder.

The largest of the four yelled out and forced Lafayette to take off his hand before he caught his breath, looking to his boyfriend.

"That was two seconds," Lafayette winked to him before he looked back to John. By then, he had slipped his glove back onto his hand, and his eyes returned to their brownish-green colour. "It doesn't hurt that bad. They are just overdramatic."

Both Hercules and Alexander groaned. "We are not dramatic," Alex defended his honour before he looked to John. "I'm just happy I'm not the only Green in the friend group now."

"Yeah, congratulation, Lex," Hercules chuckled. "Now our friend group has two Greens, a Blue, and a Gold. You collected the whole set," he teased.

There it was. By that, Hercules was a Blue.

There was such a big urge in John's body to blurt out the truth.  _ Why?? _ He has only known these three for less than ten minutes, but it already felt so horrible to lie to all of them. What if they were going to get murdered as well? For being friends with an Orange who lied to them. They are all so... Innocent. So happy with their colours, but they are stuck with a lying Orange who just wants to live for his eighteenth birthday. All he wants to do is live. Why does he only hurt the people he loves. The people he is friends with.

All he is is a liar.


	6. Two Greens, A Blue, and a Gold // Don't Touch me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter, but with a conclusion that would leave you... shocked ;)

The whole set minus a Red. 

They were a group now, minus a Red.

They didn't even know that all they needed was a Red. 

John didn't even know how long he would be able to keep up the lie to the new kids that recognized him as a new friend. A new, smart, intelligent,  _ Green  _ friend. His facade was the same; the repetitive lies over and over again.

"I just don't like touch."

"Can you please back up... I'm sorry."

"I just don't really like showing my power that much."

"Yeah, It's a southern thing."

"I know my eyes aren't turning Green... I just don't like talking or showing off, so I guess they never light up."

"Don't touch me... Please. Just don't touch me."

He knew that it was probably annoying his friends now. He could've sworn he saw Lafayette roll his eyes when he said his slogan, "please don't touch," but he wasn't entirely sure. Lafayette was always the sarcastic one of the four. He could have been rolling his eyes at something else, or maybe he didn't roll his eyes at all. John was overall... just paranoid over the situation. 

John often began to go over to one of their houses, although they never went over to his. This was mostly due to his father being rigorous on who his children brought into the house for a visit, and a Green, a Blue, and a Gold who were all teenage boys all together with their son who was supposed to be hiding his colour didn't work out in his household. So, in a reluctant conclusion, he goes to visit either Alex's, Lafayette's, or Hercules's house to hang out with his new friends. Even there, he was still reluctant as ever before. He didn't want to touch anyone, he didn't want to hurt anyone, and he didn't want to get anyone killed because he was stupid enough to get caught. Lord, above knew what would happen if he was caught. All his family, and now his new friends, would be killed. He often stared off into the distance, into space, while he thought about those dreaded things. What if he was forced to watch everyone he loves  _ die _ . Martha, Katheryn, Olivia, Mellissa, Jenny (his youngest sister). His father. His mother. Alexander-

"Hey. Man. John. Ya'Good?" A voice interrupted him out of his thoughts, and it took him a moment to get back into reality and where he was.

Lafayette's home. It was May. He was friends with those three for three months now. He had been lying for three long months.

John rubbed at his eyes and nodded. He looked up from his spot on Lafayette's bed. He was curled up towards the corner of the bed, Alexander, who was the one who spoke to him, was laying down on his side at the end of the bed, Lafayette was sitting down on the floor, on leg bent under the other, which was stretched out, and Hercules was sitting at the desk chair, manspreading.

Alexander frowned, shifting again on his spot on Lafayette's bed. "You good? You kind of dozed off on us there. Thought you were dead for a moment," he laughed sadly.

"No. No, no. I'm fine," John excused himself, moving to sit correctly on the bed with his legs crossed, "really. I'm fine. I'm just thinking about stuff."

"You think about stuff a lot, don't you," Hercules muttered, looking at John as well with an accusatory look. John was sure he meant nothing about it, but it still seemed... off. 

Lafayette scoffed, leaning slightly towards Hercules to swat his arm with a gloved hand, "don't be rude. Let him think! Thinking is good for Greens." 

The lie was non-stop.

Alexander sighed and looked over to John with a weak smile, "just... I wanted to make sure that you okay, John. You getting silent kind of scared me," he scooted closer to John.

"...I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing," Alexander asked.

"Because I'm scaring you."

"Not intentionally, right?"

"No. No, no. Not intentionally. I wouldn't do that intentionally."

"Good," Alexander laughed, putting his hand on John's ankle.

This was the moment that John indeed had nightmares about for the past three months. The day a simple mistake led to a world of hurt and pain. He felt Alexander touch his ankle, probably in a friendly touch meaning that he is understanding, and that was fine... What wasn't fine was that his ankle was unclothed. His eyes widened a millisecond after he felt Alex's hand and he yelled out; 

" _ ALEXANDER, NO!!!" _

But it was too late. 


	7. What He Saw // They are the one who Want to Kill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE BE ADVISED: This chapter depicts disturbing scenes from Alexander's past. All of it is in the form of Alexander's words and what he was saying during that time.

_ Mama. Why is Dad leaving? Why is Dad leaving!! Where are you going, Daddy? I want to come with you. Please?? I wanna go with you! I wanna be with you! I wanna go up to Scotland with you! Why can't I go!? I wanna go with you! I am not leaving unless it is with you! Let me go with you!! No!! let me go with you! Mama, let go of me!! Dad!! I want Dad! Let go of me!!! I said, let go of me!! I hate you!! I wanna go with Daddy! NO!!! _

_ I'm hungry, Mama... I'm hungry. I want food... Why can't we eat? _

_ Mama... I'm cold. I'm cold, Mama. I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die!! I hate it. I hate it, Mama!! I don't wanna be here anymore!! I hate it here! I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!! I wanna go back home!! With Daddy!! _

_...Mama, I want you to hold me. Please... I want you to hold me. I wanna get held... it hurts. Everything hurts. I wanna hug you, Mama... I'm sorry. I love you. Please... I wanna hold you, and I wan' you to hold me. Please, Mama, I'm sorry, I love you... Please. _

_ Mama, Please open your eyes. _

_ Please. _

_ James-... James!!! James, where are you!! _

_ I-I'm thirteen!! I'm thirteen years old! Where is my brother! I don't wanna stay here anymore! I wanna find my brother! He's out there somewhere! He is hurt or crushed my something!! Something hit him. I need to find him!! He can't die! _

_ Please help me!! I-i-i just found him! And he-... he's dead!! My cousin is dead!!! He's dead!! He's gone, he left!! He killed himself!! Why did he kill himself!? He's dead because of me!! Please send help!! He's all I have left! I don't have anywhere else to go! I have no one else! Please send someone! Save him! Please!! _

_...Please, someone, save the people I love. _

***

"John!!!" 

He heard his name get yelled in the distance, and soon after, John felt two hands grab him from his armpits and drag him away from Alexander, so the two weren't touching anymore. The whole scenario only took place for a second... but there was so much. John tried to fight back against the person holding him, who he knew was Hercules, but it turned fruitless.

He looked up to the other boys in the bedroom. He looked at Alexander first, with his arm still extended out towards him where John's ankle was, with merely the most scared expression John had ever seen before as Alex looked into his eyes. It was the same with Lafayette, too, from the ground. He has the same expression, and John assumes that Hercules had the same one also.

All of them were looking at his eyes. His previously dark brown eyes had mutated into the bright colour of orange that the other three were told to stay away from, no matter the cause. Eventually, the colour died down back to brown, and Hercules let go of John, slowly backing away from him.

"Holy shit," John heard Hercules mutter under his breath in disbelief.

"I-i... I thought Oranges were a myth," Alexander was the next to mutter, "I thought they didn't exist, and it was just to scare us."

Lafayette slowly stood up from his spot. "I need to call someone... I-... Isn't that what you're supposed to do in America? You have to call someone, and they come and take care of it??"

"Yeah! Alright. Okay. Call them up and tell them that you have an Orange in your bedroom! They aren't going to believe that you didn't know that he was," Hercules argued.

Alex stepped in, "what else are we supposed to do, Hercules!? We could all get arrested for this-"

" _ Would you all please just  _ **_ shut up _ ** !" John yelled over all of them. At that point, he had scooted himself to the edge of the bed and was gripping tightly onto the blanket.

"...Would you please all just... Shut up," he repeated, knowing that all three of them were looking at him with various expressions ranging from scared to confused.

"...Please, Lafayette... Don't call anyone. They will come here and kill me, and then they will kill my family. Everyone in my family would get killed if I was caught," John began his rant, running one hand through his hair, carding the strands between his fingers, "my sisters, my father, my mother... all of them will be killed for hiding me. Not to mention me. I've lived for eleven years and I just-... I can't let this fuck me over, guys. I can't. I didn't mean to hurt anyone! I didn't even see anything! He touched me, but I saw nothing!"

"Bullshit," Hercules spat, "not the family part, but that you didn't see anything. You gasped, and just- I know you saw something. So spit it out."

"...Hercules," Lafayette whispered, putting his gloved hand on his boyfriend's shoulder and squeezing gently.

"No, Lafayette. John is lying. He has been lying for this long, so he could very well be lying again and get us all killed."

Alexander spoke now, looking at John with a sad look on his face, to which John looked back at him and pursed his lips into a thin line.

"...Did you see him?" Alex asked quietly, barely above a whisper, so only John could hear. 

John slowly shook his head, "I-... I can't control how it works. Sometimes I see things, and sometimes I don't. But I-" he let out the truth, "I heard your voice. From when you were younger. I heard you beg and cry and scream, and- I'm so sorry about everything you went through."

Alexander wrapped his arms around himself, shrugging, "not that much to worry about. Lost all of that years ago and... no, I'm living a better life. I'm happier now, and I don't think I'm a whiney little brat anymore. I'm sure you heard that."

John laughed softly and nodded, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand, "you sounded like a whiney brat, but I'm not one to judge you on that. You're a Green. What can I say?" He teased lightly, laughing some more, which caught Lafayette's attention. Both he and Hercules looked over.

It was like none of it happened. It was like he didn't hurt him. John didn't hurt Alexander.  _ He didn't hurt him from using his powers _ . Sure, Alexander was caught by surprise, and there was no doubt that John's lie hurt everyone, but he didn't hurt anyone. He wasn't lethal. He wasn't dangerous. He was human.

"...John?" a soft voice asked. John looked at the boy who said it. Lafayette.

"What would happen if you get caught again? I want to know..."

John glanced to his lap for a moment and recited the rules in the original 'Book of Colours,' reciting the passage about Oranges.

"If at anytime an Orange is found to be alive, it must be killed on site. However, if an Orange is found in hiding, he and those involved in hiding him are to be put in front of a judge in the nation's court. The 'Savage' will immediately be given a death sentence and shall be killed by firing squad or the electric chair. Those involved and other accomplices will be trialled, and a jury will decide their fate in the court," John sighed, "I'm not dangerous, guys.  _ They are the ones who want to kill." _


	8. I'll be With you From Dusk 'till Dawn...

The ones who want to kill were the ones pushing out the propaganda against John. All of those commercials and posters warning against Oranges, and their abilities. Those commercials with an older man, sitting in a chair in an empty room, wearing a suit with his grey hair slicked back. At the same time, he read off of a teleprompter about the dangers of Oranges and Reds.

"An Orange can harm an entire state if so desired, not to mention commit a mass genocide of a race with simple skin to skin contact. Anyone who has found someone who they have good reason to believe is an Orange is legally obligated to inform the authorities, so the savage is captured and dealt with in a secluded government facility. The levels of danger that an Orange can exhibit is like a Gold, but much worse. A simple 'mistake' committed by an Orange can murder an innocent person. It is illegal to hide the savage. If you go against this law, you and your family can be at risk of punishment and jail time. Stay safe, everyone. Report the savages. Save lives for the greater good."

Why was this John's fault? This wasn't his fault. He wouldn't kill anyone, let alone lay a finger on them. However... Lafayette now understands why he never touched anyone. What would have happened if John was forced to touch someone in a crowded space? Where would his friend be now? He couldn't even imagine it. He had only known John for three months, but the bond he built up with the new kid only proved that he could make friends... and proved that Oranges doesn't want to hurt anyone and be friends. But who would've known that if it wasn't for John proving it instead of getting killed when he was five. A five-year-old little boy could've gotten killed because of his ability that just made him considered more dangerous. Hell, it reminded Lafayette of himself.

His own fifth birthday in France was more of a hard hit one, as he was born in a time when the danger line on the triangle chart was just below a third colour, letting three colours be considered too dangerous for society. Gold. Back then, and still, now, Golds have the most controversial and unknown powers. All of it can vary depending on the person. From weak little shocks that barely count as electricity at all, and to fully electrocuting something or someone with skin to skin contact. Lafayette's power was in the middle. He had complete control over his power and understood it. He knew how to give little shocks to his friends as a joke and how to create an electrical current to fix a light fixture in his home if his brother didn't fix it before him. He didn't know the extent of his powers, of course, because he was never in a scenario to use them to their full potential, but he didn't want to. No situation called for it, so why risk the people around him with his powers that can quickly kill someone if he shocked them for too long. 

In France, after his father and mother divorced, and his father took his twin brother to America to learn American studies, Lafayette became an activist for his community for Gold's Rights. He was a little twelve-year-old boy with a sign that read ' ** Je suis CHOQUÉ de ne pas avoir les droits dont j'ai besoin'  ** in big, dark letters. The words translate to 'I'm SHOCKED that I don't have the rights I need.' As a result, his face was all over France's newspapers, showing the picture of a young french boy with dark skin, black curly hair tied up in a bun, holding up a sign with his hands covered by yellow rubber gloves, and with that worried look on his face that showed he wanted to be free and have the same rights as Greens and Blues. He didn't want to hurt anyone, and he wasn't going to hurt anyone. It was that one picture of him that got sent around the country, and even to the G7 conference the year after, and then the United Nations.

A little boy who wanted to be free, and was willing to follow the rules do be free. A little boy was getting affected by a system that he had no control over, just because they only had two colours below the line that read 'DANGER ABOVE.' A little boy who wanted to be free.

When he was fourteen, the danger line officially shifted up, allowing Golds to be designated as a safe colour, and to have the rights as other colours below the line. Of course, Red and Oranges were still above the line, but it would take centuries to convince people about those, not to mention there was such a small percentage.

...But that small percentage was only seemed to be shortened because of that stupid law that John reminded them of. If an Orange was found to be alive on the Earth, they were to be killed.

How many Oranges were being killed every year and weren't added to the number of Oranges were born every year?

How many Oranges were being hurt and captured?

...How many Oranges stayed hidden, like John, and outgrew their powers without anyone knowing?

Were there other Oranges besides John, out there and breaking down without any support?

A little boy who longes to be free and have the rights he deserved.

But now, the little boy was grown up, longing for his friend to have the rights he deserved.


	9. ...Baby I'm Right Here

Blues are one of the most common colours when it comes to the triangle—first Greens, then the Blues. So, of course, it wasn't much of a surprise when Hercules found his colour.

There was nothing wrong with being a Blue. It was almost too common to see cool, yet not common enough to be entirely well known to people. They even had the most comfortable power to explain to people who didn't honestly know anything about it. Telekinesis. Moving things with their mind and will. Move-y float-y thing-y, however people want to express it, the power was more comfortable to explain. Between enhanced intelligence in certain subjects, to moving things with their mind, to uncontrollable electric shocks that can electrocute anyone as will, and then the dangerous colours, it was evident which power seemed the easiest to explain.

It was during a dinner with his aunt and uncle. His colour hadn't shown up when he was five, which led to some doctors feeling worried for the young Irish-American boy. When he was six, however, at a dinner with his aunt, uncle, and his older cousin (a green), Hercules made a move to grab the salt shaker, only to be met with the shaker to fly forward into his face, giving him a broken nose and realization of his new powers. It wasn't anything special, but it came as a shock to his family. His previously dark brown, almost black, eyes turned to a light baby blue as the salt shaker flew across the dinner table, and into his face. It wasn't an upsetting surprise, just sudden after almost two years of nothing.  
  
So, Hercules grew up as a Blue in his small Manhattan community, consisting mostly of Greens and some Blues. He joined some sports teams, which recruited kids regardless of colour, with the only exception that they do not use their power during play. Some kids didn't enjoy that rule, enjoying to pull the ball over to them in an efficient way or to shock the other team into dropping it. Hercules had his fair share of electrical shocks, but none of them mattered. They were just a little, weak shocks from Golds who were, at the time, still seen as dangerous and naïve in their powers.   
  
He was fourteen when Gold restrictions were lifted, and the triangle chart changed to accommodate the now non-restrictions. Of course, this didn't directly affect him. He was a Blue. Golds had nothing to do with him. The only Golds he had ever known were from opposing basketball teams, but he never knew their names.  
  
However, that wasn't until Hercules moved from his little neighbourhood in Manhattan to his new home in the much larger New York City with his aunt and uncle. The house was smaller, but he wasn't complaining. He wasn't going to give up the chance to move to s place with more people. He was an extravert. He couldn't control it.

It was sophomore year in his new high school when he met the boy who was going to be his future boyfriend. Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette, a Gold who had moved from France during the year, and was rumoured to be the one who helped lift those restrictions off of Golds in France and around the world. So this kid had power if it wasn't evident by the old 'Marquis' title in his name. Though one there was undoubtedly clear to Hercules, this french kid was cute, to the point where everything about colours and powers seemed obsolete. It didn't matter anymore. He needed this new kid in his life, and he wasn't going to let Gold powers or Blue powers stop him in his feelings for Lafayette.

They began dating a few months after meeting, around March of sophomore year. They occasionally used their powers to either help each other, tease each other, or playfully annoy each other. The two were inseparable—the perfect couple in the yearbook for both the sophomore and junior years of High school. They were perfect.

Hercules could always tell that Lafayette's electricity way more than just a power. He had such a bubbly and electric personality that it made his Gold power pale in comparison. Just like when he was younger, Hercules was no stranger to a few electric shocks from his boyfriend when he took off his gold gloves. However, he knew that they were little friendly shocks instead of the cruel ones they used in the intent to win a basketball match. These shocks were familiar; little teases when he knew he was annoying the love of his teenage life.

In Junior year of high school, both of them were more than happy to help out a new kid who had just immigrated up from a little island somewhere and who was a Green. Of course, as soon as they met the kid, it was clear that the kid was a Green. His eyes turned to a brilliant forest green every time he discussed something he liked, or that he was addicted to, or even that he learned that day in class. The kid, named Alexander, was stubborn more than anything else. Stubborn, intelligent, and even pushy to an extent.

When Alexander brought forward a new kid, who was now in junior year like Alex, Hercules and Lafayette were still more than happy to accept John. Two seniors and two juniors. Two Greens, a Blue and a Gold... until three months had passed.

It was when Alexander touched John's legs, and Hercules had to move to pull John away from their other friend. That initial shock still ran through Hercules's body every time he thought about it. Their friend, who they had trusted for months, revealed a secret that could quickly get all of them killed. If anyone found it, all of them would be dead for hiding him from the world, to protect him.

He was a boy. A boy who just wanted to live. It wasn't his fault that he was like this. Hercules was proud of being a Blue. But it meant nothing compared to Orange. Oranges get killed, tortured, and put away forever. Blues are nothing to the government—just another number, like how the bodies of Orange kids are only numbers.

He needed to help this southern kid if his life depended on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These were Hercules and Lafayette's introduction chapters, in full. Pay attention to the chapter titles on these two.


	10. Crossfire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I am very sorry for the delay! But because of summer craziness and online learning, I have been very busy :'). Also been busy with getting into the MCU fandom (yaaaay)
> 
> I decided to pick up this fic again and I hope to edit it every week! My goal is fifteen chapters!! <3

The protection and caringness of his friends were almost too much to handle. It all came so quick, so fast, and in a split second, his friends suddenly grew closer to him than ever before. Like this was some cruel destiny that was forced upon them to take against their will. They illegally had an Orange in their possession. That was grounds for death, especially knowing his actual colour and knowing he and his family have evaded arrest countless times. But... they were nice. It was almost scary.

John had always seen Hercules as this tough guy, ever since they met. But after the three months of knowing him, and the extra two where they knew his secret, Hercules had this aura to him. Protect the southern boy from all harm. All three of them had that feeling, but John sensed that Hercules possessed it most. He was the muscular guy with a big heart; of course, he was the most concerned in that area.

Lafayette was still their loving French senior, but all of his friends could agree that he was far more nervous about John. He was the only one that was able to hold onto John's hand, with John's inability to touch skin and Lafayette's legal requirement to wear yellow rubber gloves to prevent him from giving his friends and others, electric shocks. That allowed them to form some bond, though it was minor. Lafayette was always worried about hurting his friend, even with the gloves on. John was sensitive, breaking all the time. It was hard.

Then there was Alexander... Beautiful, gorgeous, loving, caring Alexander. This impacted him the most. John had looked into his past through such a simple touch. It was never meant to lead to what it was now—harbouring a fugitive of the world. An illegal boy. An illegal _colour_. That was the cause of all of this. John didn't control his colour, and Alexander was sure that Hercules and Lafayette were thinking that same thing. 

The ones who wanted to kill were always hunting John. It felt like that single thought was repeated over and over.

They wanted to kill John.

They wanted to kill their friend.

They needed to kill their friend.

They needed to kill that damn Orange.

They needed to kill that damn Orange, for the greater good of society.

They needed to do the appropriate measures necessary to control the Orange for the health and safety of society.

That last line was complete bullshit, and all of them knew it. John wasn't hurting anyone. John was trying to live in his life without any worry. The power that he doesn't even want to be was holding him from that opportunity.

He was slowly breaking it—the world. Everything around John was slowly crumbling. The world that he had built to save his friends and everyone else from himself was cracking day by day. Lord, how he missed human contact. How he missed feeling loved. How he missed that human connection that he had with Alexander for just that split second. That simple touch on his ankle was more than another to force John to crave for more. That was all he wished for, now. The connection from the friends that he called him. He was hurting. He was hurting them. 

They had labelled him as a monster. A horrid being that was going to kill the first human being that made him angry. He was going to use his 'evil powers' to mind control, someone, into doing something horrible. He was going to bring the destruction of the Earth, wasn't he? That seemed to be all that he was destined to. To bring death and destruction. 

So... That was where they were. A Green, a Blue, a Gold, and a secret Orange. All of them were destined to bring forward only destruction because they were harbouring a boy—a secret Orange.

Now, John wanted to remind everyone again.

Who is the real killer here?

~~~  
  
  


Eating lunch was now more of a quiet affair, the four of them sitting and eating in that sinful and awkward silence that everyone, especially the curly-headed Frenchman, hated to a startling high degree.

"I am bored," he muttered, poking at his sandwich with his gloved hand, knowing very well to not poke at it with his skin, as not to burn the bread with electricity and suddenly make his sandwich into a grilled cheese lunch. "I want to go out."

Hercules looked over to the young man at his side, wrapping his arm around his shoulder and forming a firm grip on his shoulder, keeping his hand on Lafayette's shirt and being careful not to touch his skin. "No sneaking out of school."

"Is that some new law?"

"It is, in America."

"American laws are stupid."

"Tell me about it," John chimed in with a grumble, also poking at his lunch, though it comprised of the week-old stir fry that his younger-eldest sister created for the Laurens Family dinner.

Alexander opted for a different like of lunch, specifically a single can of pop that he stole from his foster parent's minifridge. Ever the intelligent young Green, he chimed in; "Most American laws are stupid, and some are actually based and founded on the rules and regulations of slavery back in the early seventeen and eighteen hundreds. Although people do claim that it is different now, we all know that's not true because some people aren't used to change, and it's the same with Oranges and Reds. The only reason we don't trust them now is because of old stereotypes from back then-" he rambled. As Alex went on, the rings around his pupils turned into a light green.

Hercules reached over to pick up a long piece of green pepper from John's stir fry, using it to point at Alexander. "You're being a nerd again."

Alex, for a brief moment, while knowing Hercules was teasing him, gasped in mock-offence. "I am _not_!"

"I can see it in your eyes."

"Your eyes are green," Lafayette added, picking up his little slice of green pepper, then Alex picked up one of his own as his eyes faded back to that deep brown shade.

John made a weird face. "Can you all /not/ touch my food?" Soon after he spoke, he heard a faint humming noise coming from across him, and the noise was accompanied by the dish of John's sister's stir fry being lifted off of the table, over, and then eventually in front of Hercules. Just so, John, could be assured, he checked Hercules' eyes, and of course, they turned to a bright ocean-blue but then faded back right as the stir fry landed back on the table in front of him.

"Smartass," the South Carolina native grumbled.

"You said not to touch, so I didn't touch."

"That includes telepathy."

"You never said that."

"I implied it!"

"Both of you, the fighting has to stop, it is too much for my poor brain to handle in the middle of the day," Lafayette expressed over-dramatically, pressing his gloved hand to his forehead to pretend like he was going to faint. Of course, he wasn't, But they didn't need to know.

After the definite flamboyant reaction, a few laughs came from the group at the table.

Everything was calm... everything was good...

Until John spotted Lafayette staring off to something- or someone- behind him...

And then felt a hand touch his cheek from behind.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed it!!!! ;)


	11. Feeling the Cold

_Is mother coming home today? I want her to come home so I can say hello!_

_Why is father always so late?_

_Can I spend the night with you?_

_I want to spend it with you_

_Please_

_I don't want to be alone_

_I'm scared of the dark_

_...There's a monster in the closet_

_I don't want to go into my room._

_I want to cuddle. Please_

_Sally?...._

_You're my best friend... I love you_

_Say it back... Please say it back._

_Sally?....  
_

_I don't want you to go._

_Remember all of the experiments that we did? The cool ones that we made in my room with the rocks from the creek?_

_I loved those..._

_Or when we did one in the middle of the night because I was scared?_

_...Do you remember it?_

_Sally..._

_No!!_   
  


_~~_

All John could feel in that moment was the cold hand pressed up against his cheek, the touch forcing his eyes to shift into the dreaded orange colour that he despised. He was frozen. Although he was getting touched by the person who was meant to shock him, all he could feel was the ice-cold emotion of dread, with tiny electricity sparks. It was meant to be a prank, wasn't it... just a harmless prank to touch the Green on the cheek.. but it turned into so much more.

Everything moved around John, and suddenly the feeling on his cheek was gone, but his eyes still had on the colour. He couldn't move, and he could vaguely hear Lafayette screech out his brother's name, followed by a loud thud onto the cafeteria ground. Everything was moving around him in slow motion, almost like a blur over it all as Thomas's memories settled deep in his mind... This was torture.

The next thing he could feel was Alexander's hand on his face covering his eyes. No. No, No, please. Not you too.

_NOT YOU TOO! I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE YOU_. _WHERE IS MY BROTHER??_

John wanted to scream, but he couldn't. He sat in complete fear, clutching tight onto the table in front of him, hearing the sound of the twins arguing in mixed French and English to his left, Hercules trying to pull them apart, all with Alexander's memories reentering his mind through the kind touch of trying to keep John's eyes hidden. And suddenly, the kid from South Carolina was thrown right into the snake pit. This was how he was going to die.

"Breathe." A voice interrupted. "Breathe slowly with me, alright? In and out." Alexander. "In and out, there we go.. It's alright.. focus on your breathing... slowly, in and out." Alexander was helping him through his clear signs of panic through all of this. Although his body was shaking and he wanted to scream, John suddenly felt far more relaxed than he was before... Damn that kid.

"John, c'mon. In and out, deep breaths," Alexander only continued, looking over past his friend to watch Hercules pulled Lafayette back by his shirt while the immigrant tried to grab at his twin brother again. The brothers were still in a pretty heated shouting match, laced with words like 'how could you' and 'John' and 'do not touch him.' But Alex's main priority was the trembling mess. Of course, he was worried that touching John would do more harm than good. What if this was forcing more and more information into his tired, frustrated mind... but he seemed to be calming down, slowly. Enough that he could focus on his breathing.

"The freak did something to me," Thomas spat, glancing over to John at the table, even motioning over to him to try to get his twin to look at him. "You can't blame me for a simple prank, Gil. You _can't_ when he did god know what to me!"

"Then maybe do not touch him in the first place!" Lafayette argued back, trying to rush at him once again before Hercules tugged him back, again, with his arms around his clothed torso.

A teacher, not long after, was the one to intervene and everything shut off again. To John, it was all just mumbling, with Alexander's hand still covering his orange eyes. He could vaguely hear Alex explain that he needed a moment, with the faculty member happily understood... but then again, how could they ever understand what an Orange was going through.

"You have to open your eyes," Alex whispered, quickly met with a few shakes of John's head. "You have to, alright?"

"No..."

"John, you have to."

"I can't... No, no, I can't."

"John, c'mon. Please. You have to open your eyes."

The movement was reluctantly, but John fluttered his eyes open under Alex's hand, and he felt the other boy slowly pull his hand away. John immediately looked down, blinking away a few more tears from his eyes which were still brightly shining that damn orange colour.

The colour lasted for only a few more seconds before it disappeared again, and suddenly, everything that John's father had told him was set in stone.

What if Thomas had seen his eyes? What if someone else did? Or a teacher? or Mr. Washington?

This was such a massive risk... and John was playing all his chips on going to the school... He was messing all of this up even further. Damn it. 

What if he deserved to get locked up. To get killed. Lafayette and Thomas have been pulled away, presumably to talk to Mr. Washington, and Hercules excused himself to go to the bathroom, probably to splash his face with cold water after holding his lanky boyfriend back from hurting his twin, and Alexander was still beside him, cooing to him so sweetly.

John was hurting all of them. It was all his fault. His father was right...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ARE YALL STILL WITH ME BECAUSE HOLY SHIT I AM SO, SO S O SORRY!!!!!!!!!! I HOPE THIS CHAPTER WILL SHOW MY FORGIVENESS FOR THE 3-MONTH-LONG CLIFFHANGER!!!


	12. Martha Laurens

Martha found out that she was a Blue when she was four years old, which was early. She was annoying her older brother and following him around, reaching out for him until suddenly, her brother came back towards her, bringing her brother and the realization to her family that she had inherited her mother's powers as a Blue. It was... incredible.

After she found out, she used it to her advantage. Everyone in her South Carolina preschool knew that Martha Laurens was a Blue, and she was so damn proud of it. 

Martha loved her brother. There was no question of it. They had a bond as the two older children of the Laurens family, but yet they seemed so distraught from each other because of how they grew up. Their mother and father did everything in their power to make sure that Martha wasn't Orange or Red, but something _normal_. They couldn't bear to house two illegal children. Everything they did with John, they did the opposite with Martha.

Instead of their mother teaching Martha how to walk, it was their dad.

Instead of their dad teaching her how to talk, it was her mom. They had the idea that if they worked hard, they could rework her biology. And low and behold, Martha was a Blue. Had it worked? It was all biological... Right?

~~~

John came home clearly in tears, not greeting anyone once he had entered the home they had lived in for four months. It was hard to see her older brother cry like that. Of course, it wasn't the first time. Martha often teased him for being a cry baby, even more so than their youngest sister. They were the only two at the house at that moment, with Martha having convinced their parents to let her stay at home, and with Henry and Eleanor have gone to pick up the younger kids from their school. So, Martha watched from the couch as John hurried from their home's foyer and up to his bedroom. His bags still weren't back yet. The sound of the door shutting from up the stairs was her cue to stand up from the couch, shifting her laptop off of her and onto the couch cushion as she stood, hurrying across the room, to the foyer, and then up the stairs to the bedrooms.

John's was the first bedroom on the right, right by the stairs, so it was easy for Martha to stop right at the door once she had climbed up. She wasn't particularly athletic. No one in the Laurens family was. At all. But she was fast enough to make it up to the stairs and automatically knock on the door once she was up. 

No response. So, she knocked again.

No response.

Martha opened the door, twisting on the door handle until the door slowly swung open and revealed where her brother was. Facedown on his bed, his face buried into his pillow with his hands clutching tightly onto the sides of the pillow to hide his face even more so. Martha let out a slow breath as she walked into the room, closing the door behind herself before she went over to the bed, sitting right on the edge of the mattress. 

"You shouldn't be here," John grumbled to his sister, the words muffled by the pillow.

"Neither should you."

"Don't quote Endgame right now."

"Then don't start me on it," Martha argued, slowly reaching for John's hand before her brother flinched it away. He could probably sense it. Damn magician, he was. "What is going on?"

John took a moment, letting the question hang in the air before he pushed himself up from his pillow to look up to his sister, his body still pressed against his mattress. "What do you want, first? Why are you here?"

Martha bit her lower lip, "I'm checking on you. Because I care about you, and you're my brother. Y'know, I actually _don't_ hate you as you believe." She could definitely tell that John wanted to hide his face again, forget that the world around him ever existed, but they both knew that wasn't possible. 

"...Do you hate me?" John asked, swallowing thickly. "And I mean-... Actually. Not like as a brother or as a sister. As a person, do you hate me?"

"No."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"...I don't believe you."

"John!"

"I'm serious! I don't-"

"Okay, shut up," Martha interrupted, putting her hand up to silence him. "What is actually going on with you? Something is wrong, and I know it. Just tell me what is going on-"

"Thomas touched my cheek today!"

That was enough to put them both into silence, stunned, and looking at each other as that phrase hung in the air. It was hardly ever silent if the two eldest Laurens kids were in the same room together. Either bickering or laughing, there was noise. But the silence hung in the air for almost two minutes as they just looked at each other.

John was the first one to break the silence. "He didn't see my eyes, but he-... I-... I heard his voice from when he was a kid and I-... I don't know, I don't know, and I almost had a panic attack in the middle of school. What if he had seen me? Or what if he _had_ seen me, y'know?"

Martha sighed deeply, letting out that low breath as she watched her brother dive back into that freakout. Although she was definitely younger than him, by a lot, it was hard to watch him break down, watch him cry. At least with her other siblings, she could hold them and comfort them. But with John, she couldn't touch him without. Everything was different.

"...I don't think he saw your eyes," Martha comforted, "I'm pretty sure."

"How could you be so sure?"

"John. We don't have IAAN Officers breaking down our door and arresting you. They would've done that if he had seen your eyes," she pointed out, rolling her shoulders back before she crossed her arms. "He probably doesn't even know that your eyes changed. He probably just thinks that you're weird, which is normal."

"Very funny," John laughed nervously, sitting up as well, "...Maybe he didn't see my eyes, but... I dunno."

Martha smiled weakly, "just be careful."

"I will..."

And then, with no hesitation, Martha leaned forward to wrap her arms around her brother, purposefully touching his skin and closing her eyes as soon as she heard him gasp. His eyes changed colours.

_I want my brother to be okay._

_Where is he?_

_Is John okay?_

_I love you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has started reading or binged this story! Your reads and kudos mean so much to me. I freak out and cry every time I get a comment on a chapter because it reminds me that people are enjoying my work, so thank you so much, everyone! More chapters to come! This is not the end! Expect about twenty chapters in total :D.


End file.
